High School graduation rates by race and ethnicity in Maine

Why This Indicator Matters

All youth deserve to have access to a quality education. Historically, there have been racial disparities in graduation rates due to many factors, including structural inequality. Students who graduate from high school have higher wages, lower unemployment and are less likely to need public assistance than those who do not graduate. Their long-term physical and mental health is also better if they graduate from high school.

What the data shows
Nationally, the 2016-2017 rate of graduation was 72% for American Indian, 74% for African -American, 80% for Hispanic, 89% for White, and 91% for Asian students. Maine's rate in 2018 was within 2 percentage points for all of these groups.

In 2018, the racial groups with below an 80% high school graduation rate in Maine were American Indian, Black/African-American and Two or More Races.

Selections

Definitions:
The percent of youth who graduate in 4 years from public schools and 60% publicly funded private schools. Race & ethnicity is self reported at each high school and is compiled at the state level.
The numerator is the number of students of a particular race who graduated from high school in 4 years and the denominator is the number of students who started high school 4 years earlier.

Footnotes:
This data looks at a cohort of students who began ninth grade 4 years prior to see if they graduated within 4 years.

Last updated: March 2019.

Why This Indicator Matters

All youth deserve to have access to a quality education. Historically, there have been racial disparities in graduation rates due to many factors, including structural inequality. Students who graduate from high school have higher wages, lower unemployment and are less likely to need public assistance than those who do not graduate. Their long-term physical and mental health is also better if they graduate from high school.

What the data shows
Nationally, the 2016-2017 rate of graduation was 72% for American Indian, 74% for African -American, 80% for Hispanic, 89% for White, and 91% for Asian students. Maine's rate in 2018 was within 2 percentage points for all of these groups.

In 2018, the racial groups with below an 80% high school graduation rate in Maine were American Indian, Black/African-American and Two or More Races.

Selections

Definitions:
The percent of youth who graduate in 4 years from public schools and 60% publicly funded private schools. Race & ethnicity is self reported at each high school and is compiled at the state level.
The numerator is the number of students of a particular race who graduated from high school in 4 years and the denominator is the number of students who started high school 4 years earlier.